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Ohio inventions and firsts · First · 1933-1936

Soap Box Derby

Myron Scott of the Dayton Daily News started the soap-box races in Dayton in 1933; the first All-American Derby was August 19, 1934, the finals moved to Akron in 1935 and Derby Downs was built in 1936.

At a glance

Year
1933-1936
By
Myron E. Scott
Company
Chevrolet (sponsor)
Place
Dayton, then Akron, Summit County ZIP 44306 · Summit County

The story

On June 10, 1933, Myron Scott, a 25-year-old photographer for the Dayton Daily News, saw six boys racing homemade push carts. He decided to turn it into a citywide event that August, with the paper's support.

The first Dayton race drew 460 entrants and 40,000 spectators. Randy Custer, 16, won, and 11-year-old Alice Johnson finished second.

The first All-American championship was held on August 19, 1934 in Dayton, with 52 entries from 34 cities; Robert Turner of Muncie, Indiana was the first champion. Chevrolet sponsored the Derby from 1934 to 1972. A purpose-built course, Derby Downs, opened in Akron in 1936, built by WPA workers on leased city land, with a 1,600-foot paved course, grandstands and a finish-line bridge.

Girls were not formally banned but were discouraged. Rebecca Phillips was the first to race at Derby Downs in 1971, and Karren Stead won the first female championship in 1975.

Timeline

  • 1933-06-10: Myron Scott sees six boys racing homemade carts. (Dayton, OH) source
  • 1933-08: The first citywide Dayton race draws 460 racers and 40,000 spectators. (Dayton, OH) source
  • 1934-08-19: First All-American Derby, with 52 entries from 34 cities. (Dayton, OH) source
  • 1936: Derby Downs opens in Akron. (Akron, OH) source
  • 1972: Chevrolet ends its sponsorship. source
  • 1975: Karren Stead wins the first female championship. (Akron, OH) source

What it changed

  • 40,000 spectators at the first race.
  • Chevrolet sponsored the event for 38 years.

Why it matters

Long-running youth racing event.

Places in Ohio to see

Further reading

Sources

Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.